Machine for making flexible shafting



Aug. 5, 1930. L. H. MORIN MACHINE FOR MAKING FLEXIBLE SHAFTING Filed April 15. 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Aug. 5, 1930. H. MORIN MACHINE FOR MAKING FLEXIBLE SHAFTING Filed April 15, 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Lou/ls HMO/1n ATTORNEY Aug. 5, 1930. L. H. MORIN MACHINE FOR MAKING FLEXIBLE SHAFTING Filed April 15, 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 A TTORNEY Aug. 5, 1930. L. H. MORIN MACHINE FOR MAKING FLEXIBLE SHAFTING Filed April 15, 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. 1 cans H Nor/n A TTORNEY Aug. 5, 1930. 1.. H. MORIN momma FOR MAKING FLEXIBLE smmme Filed April 15, 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVEN TOR.

A TTORNEY 7 Sheet-Sheet 6 Filed April 15, 1927 INVENTQR. Lou/s l-MVonn ATTORNEY Aug. 5, 1930. H. MORIN MACHINE FOR MAKING FLEXIBLE SHAFTING Filed April 15, 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 IIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII s;-

INVENTOR: Z 0 (1/15" 16 Nor/n ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 1 930 UNITED STATES LOUIS H. MORIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MACFINE FOR MAKING FLEXIBLE SHAFTING- Application filed April 15,

or core-wire supported between two points,

the convolutions being wound very closely together, and then winding a second and third or more layers around the core, each successive layer being wound in a reversed direction relatively to the preceding layer. By reversing the direction of winding of each successive layer a flexible shaft is formed which will be substantially capable of transmitting torque without submitting to torsion.

In accordance with this invention I propose to simultaneously wind a layer composed of a plurality of strands of wire around the core-wire and also to simultaneously wind a plurality of such layers around said core-wire each successive layer being wound in a relatively reversed direction while continuously feeding the core-wire relatively to the point at which the layers are being laid upon said core, thus making it possible to manufacture substantially unlimited lengths of cable in one continuous operation.

In accordance with this invention, I provide a machine which supports a core-wire under a constanttension and feeds it continuously relatively to a point of application where a layer of wire is wound thereupon.

A plurality of rotary heads are suitably mounted to rotate around the core-wire to simultaneously lay a plurality of layers of several wires each upon the core-wire, each successive head being rotated in a direction relatively reversed with respect to the previous head.

I will now describe with more particularity a machine of my invention in connection with the drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of such a machine:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machine constructed in accordance with this invention;

5 Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same; i

1927. Serial No. 183,972.

. Fig. 3 is an end-elevation ofthe head-or right end;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan of the head end;

Fig. 5 isan enlarged front elevation of the head end;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation partly in section of one of the rotary heads;

F 7 is a section on line 77 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a section on line 88 of Fig. 2;

F 9 is a section on line 9-9, Fig. 1;

Fig. 10 is a rear elevation of that portion of the machine shown in Fig. 9, and

Fig. 11 is a detail of a portion of a cable illustrating the article made and the method of making the same. The particular machine shown by way of illustration comprises a bed or frame 1 sup-- ported upon end and center legs 2, the bed 1 constituting a support for the core-wire feeding mechanism and'also the layer winding mechanism. 4' i A spool 3 of the core-wire 4 is supported upon an angle bracket 5, (Figs; 4 and 5) rigidly secured to the bed 1 adjacent the right or head endthereof. Bracket 5 has threaded thereinto a spindle 6 extending at right angles therefrom, which spindle is threaded upon its outer end to receive a spool retaining flange 7 5 and locking nut 8. Bracket 5 is formed with an extending car portion 9 which carries a, spring friction device 10 adapted to contact against one flange of the spool 3 to resist rotation thereof, and is also formed witha second projectnig ear portion 11 which carries a spring-pressed guide and friction drag 12 for guiding the core-wire 4 as it is reeled off the spool 3 into and through the winding heads for winding a plurality of layers of'wire around the corewire. This guide and drag 12 comprises two discs 13'(Fig. 4) mounted upon a stud 14 threadedinto the ear portion 11 and resiliently urged together by a spring 15, carried by the stud 14. A nut 16 is threaded upon the stud 14 intermediate its ends and engages spring 15 whereby through adjustment of the nut 14, the tension of spring 15 maybe varied and the frictional resistance of the discs 13 acting upon the wire 4 may be adjusted to hold the proper tension upon the core-wire as is fed therefrom by the continuous feed-o ing means.

After leaving the guide 12 core-wife 4 is passed through the center of the first of a series of five successiveturrets or winding heads 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 rotatably carried upon headstocks 23,- 24, 25, 26 and27 respectively, supported by the. bed 1 in spaced relations 'p and adapted to wind successive layers of convolutions of wire around the core-wire, each of the five heads being constructed to carry and feed five strands of wire from five spools thereon. The five heads utilized in the illustrated machine are substantially the same in structure, each successive head being driven in a direction relatively reversed to the direction of rotation of the preceding head.

As the core-wire 4 leaves the first head 18 having hada layer of wire Wound thereon it passes between and is engaged by the first of a series of 'five pairs of clamp-like gripping'and feeding members, 28, 28; 29, 29; 30, 30; 31, 31 and 32, 32 supported upon two longitudinal parallel gripper cam shafts" 33 and 33" extending horizontally, and substantially the full length of the machine. 'A pair of these grippers are positioned one on each of shafts 33 and 33 adjacent the output end of each of the winding heads whereby the core-wire is gripped and fed as it leaves each winding head. The gripper membersare all substantially similar in structure and are actuated by the shafts 33 and 33 in such a manner and sequence that one gripper of each pair first grips and then feeds the core-wire,

followed by a similar action of the other gripper of each pair with a slight overlap of feeding movements, .i. e. eachgripper siezes thecore-wire and starts feeding before the other gripper of the same pair has 'let go, whereby the core wire is fed continuously and evenly under a constant tension while the winding heads 'arerotated about the corewire and simultaneously wind successive layers of convolutions of wire around thecorewire.

Any convenient source of energy may be used to drive the machine and may be operatively connected to shaft 35 '(Fig. 3) supported by hearing 36 bolted or otherwise secured to the end legs. Shaft 35carries a pulley 37 over which a belt 38 passes also passing over a pulley 39 freely mounted on drive shaft 40 and adapted to be connected thereto by any convenient standard clutch 41 (Fig. 4). Drive shaft 40 is rotatively supported by outboard bearings 42 attached to the rear face of'frame 1 at frequent intervals. A take-up pulley 43 is secured to the endof the right leg 2 to bear against and take up any slack in belt 38. Drive shaft 40 extends longitudinally of the machine'and secured to drive shaft 40 opposite each of the winding heads 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22. Each gear 44 engages a coaoting bevel gear 45 rotatably mounted on the end of a stub shaft 46 carried by a bracket 47 fastened to the machine bed adjacent each of the head stocks 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27. Gears 44 associated with heads 18, 20; and 22 are mounted upon one side of gears 45 while the gears 44 associated with heads 19 and 21 are mounted upon the other side in order to have heads 19 and 21 rotated in an opposite direction from heads 18, 20, and 22.

Bevel gear 45 has secured thereto, or formed integral therewith, so as to rotate therewith, a spur gear 50 which meshes with spur gear 51 constituting one end of a train of removable gears carried by studs 52 and 53 adjustable in slotted arms 54, the train terminating in a spur gear 55 fast upon the outer end of a transverse shaft 56-rotatably supported by bearings 57 in an extending housing 58 projecting from each of the head stocks. By means of the adjustable studs various sizes qf-spur gears may be inserted in the train of gearing to produce any de sired driving ratio between spur gear 51 and spur gear 55. The inner end of transverse shaft 56 carries a bevel gear 59' which meshes with another bevel gear 60 fast upon the turret or head shaft 61 intermediate the ends thereof, the turret shaft being supported at its ends by the taper roller bearings 62 mounted in the two ends of each of the head stocks. It is readily seen that whenever energy is applied to shaft 35 shaft 40 is driven if clutch 41 is engaged and shaft 40 will drive each of stub shafts 46 and through the associated train of removable gears will drive shaft 56 and through it will rotate the turret shaft 61.- r

One end of the turret shaft 61 terminates in a flange 63 to which is rigidly secured one of the spool supporting discs 64. A second disc 65 of substantially the same diameter is secured to disc 64 in parallel spaced relationship thereto by means of spacing ferrules 66 and bolts' 67 Between the two discs are mounted'five spindles 68 upon which spools of wire '69 may be'rotatably'mounted; Adjacent each spool spindle 68 and also extending between the two discs 64 and 65 there is a spring friction guide and drag 7 0 similar to that described in connection with the takeoff of the core-wire 4 from the core spool '3, and over which the wire passes as it leaves the spools to be .wound around the core-wire.

and 'throughwhlch the wires are passed. At

guide the strands ofwire as therefrom, which studs are the center of disc 64 there is also secured a cylindrical sleeve 74 bored longitudinally as 'at 75 to the exact size of the core-wire in to the inner surface of-the carriage 90 so as to accordance with the particular head to which the sleeve is attached. Sleeve 74 is also bored radially at five points spaced axially along the sleeve to provide guiding apertures 7 6'through which strands of wire are passed to guide them accurately to the core-wire thus causing the five wires to lay-closely adjacent each other in one single layer upon the core-wire as the head is rotated around the core-wire. Thus as the five heads are rotated about the core-wire the five strands of wire will be reeled off the five spools on each head and wound around the non-rotating core-wire under a constant tension to form a plurality of reversely wound layers of wire thereon while the core-wire is being constantly fed axially through the heads.

Drive shaft 40(Figs. 1, 4, 9 and 10) also has a beveled gear 79 secured thereto near the right end thereof, which engages with a coacting bevel gear 80 fast on the end of a cross shaft 81 rotatably supported in pedestal bearings 82 and having a worm 83 keyed to its other extremity. Worm 83 drives a Worm wheel 84 slidingly keyed to gripper cam shaft 33*, and mounted in housing 85 bolted or otherwise secured to the frame, which housing prevents worm wheel 84 from moving laterally of the shaft. It follows therefrom that shaft 33 will be driven from shaft and will in turn drive gripper cam shaft 33 through spur gears 86 and 86 secured to the ends of shaft 33* and 33 respectively, gear 86 being of sufficient width to permit axial movement of both shafts without resulting in disengagement of the gears.

The gripper feeding mechanism is shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 7, wherein it will be seen that a pair of gripper members are attached to shafts 33 and 33 after each turret or head with one gripper of each pair secured to and actuated from shaft 33 and one from shaft 33*, i. e. immediately adjacent head 18,

. gripper 28 is attached to shaft 33 and gripper 28 to shaft 33 in staggered relationship. Each gripper comprises a carriage member 90 having a stationary upper jaw and a slide member 91, slidable in the carriage member.

The carriage member terminates at its upper end into a jaw member 92, which may be faced With a wear plate 93, and terminates at its lower end into a cylindrical boss 94, which is bored to rotatably fit camshafts 33 or 33. A collar 95 is pinned to shafts 33 and 33 upon each side of the boss 94, to prevent axial movement between the shafts and the carriages. Intermediate the two extremities and laterally displaced therefrom the carriage has formed thereon a boss 96 which is longitudinally bored to receive steadying shafts 97 or 97* which serve to prevent the carriage from rocking upon rotation of shafts 33 and 33 and are supported by brackets 98 fastened to the side of the bed of the machine.

The lower slide member 91, is dovetailed slide vertically thereon and has a clamping jaw 99 adjustably secured to the upper ends thereof which contacts with the wear plate 93, secured to the carriage members when the slide is in its upper or closed position. Thelower end of the slide terminates into bifurcated lugs 100 through which a pin 101 passes rotatably supporting a cam roller 102. Cam rollers 102 engage with cams 103, 103 immediately below and keyed to shafts 33 and 33 The high points of the two cams 103, 103 are diametrically opposite each other thus causmg one gripper of each pair to be in gripping position while the other gripper of each pair is in openposition. The slides 91 are normally urged to their open position by spring 104 positioned in a recess in the carriage members 90, and are under compression between the bottom of the recesses and the pm 105 riveted to and projecting inwardly from the slide members. It follows therefore that as shafts 33, 33 rotate the grippers will be alternately opened and closed upon the core-wire 4 through the action of cams 103, 103" and rollers 102.

Feeding movement or axial movement (see Fig. 4) is imparted to the grippers and shafts 33 and 33 through the medium of a gear 106 slidingly keyed to shaft 33 so as to "rotate therewith but slide axially thereupon. Gear 106 is restrained from axial movement by a housing 107 fastened to the bed of the machine and meshes with gear 108 fast upon an end of a short shaft 109 mounted in pedestal bearings 110. Shaft 109 carries a bevel gear 111 secured thereto intermediate its ends, which engages a bevel gear 112 fast upon one end of a camshaft 113 supported by pedestal bearin gs 114 at each end thereof bolted to the bed of the machine. Cam shaft 113 is transversely disposed to the two gripper arm shafts 33 and 33 and has two cams 115 and 115 secured thereto, one adjacent each of shafts 33 and 33 respectively, and have their respective high points diametrically opposite each other.

Cams 115 and 115 engage two cam rollers 116 and 116 pivoted between the bifurcated v ends of two slide members 117 and 117 which are dovetailed for sliding movement into. blocks 118 and 118 fastened to the bed of the machine. Slides 117 and 117 are attached to yokes 119 and 119 which form the end bearings and supports for the right. end of shafts 33 and 33 and gears 86 and 86 respectively, the ends of said shafts fitting within the yokes'to permit rotation therein but being threaded upon their extremities to receive nuts120 and 120 which prevent the shafts from moving axially in the yokes. Slides 117 and 117 are constantly urged to- Ward the :left so as to maintain contact of rollers116 and 116 with cams 115 and 115 by springs 121 and 121. mounted on rods 122 and 122? under compression between the slides 117-and 117 and adjusting nuts 123 and 123 upon rods 122 and 122; Rods 122 and 122 are supported by brackets 124 and 124 fas tened to the end of bed 1 of the machine.

' It follows thatas shaft 33 is rotated by worm 83 and worin'j wheel 84 and in turn rotates. shaft 33 through gears 86 and 86, the short shaft 109 will be driven through gears 108 and 106 and will in turn drive cam extending to the front of the machine where 1 nlng the full length the machine bed.

it terminates and engages in a slot in the end of an arm 126 secured to a long rod 127 runof the machine and supported by brackets An operator therefore may start and stop the machine from a point along the machine'by moving the, rd d 127 to the right or left as the situation required to either start or stop the machine. 1 Y

In making flexible shafts with the machine illustrated the machine is first prepared by placing a ,spool 30f core-wire 4 of suitable size upon the spindle 6 supported in bracket 5 and other spools of suitable layr wire are placed uponeach of the five spindles 69 on each of the five heads 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22. The core-wire is then passed between the discs 13, the guide and drag'12 and through the center of the first head 18 and its associated feeding grippers 28 and 28*, and thence through the remaining heads and grippers. The five strands of wrapping wire from the first head 18 are-then. led in from the spools through their respective drags and guides and are attached to the core-wire 4 by soldering or otherwise. The clutch 41 is then eng gaged and the machine is run until the point on the core-Wire whene'on the first five strands were attached has just passed through the second head 19. whereupon clutch 41 is dis: engaged and the machine is stopped. The five strands from the spools or head 19 are then attached and the machine is again started and the series of operations just outlined are repeated until all the strands of wire from all the spoolson all the heads have been attached after which the machine is run continuously until the desired length of flexible shaft has been made.

With the machine running normally the core-wire is fed continuouslyan'id undermonstant tension by the grippers, those on shaft 33 pullingstead'ly and alternately with those on 33. mult-aneously with the feeding ac- 128 bolted to the side of rotating said heads at tion the heads 18, 20, 22 are being rotated aroundthe core-wire and are windingtheir respective layers of five strands of wire each on the core in one direction while the heads 19 and 21 are winding their respective layers of five strands each direction. Ilhus the flexible shaft is made by continuously feeding a core-wire and simultaneously winding thereon successive layers, of several strands each, of wire thereon, each successive layer being wound in a relatively reversed direction.

It is obvious that any number of spool spindles may be provided on each winding head to wind any desired number of strands per layer and also that any number of heads may be employed and that many other changes may be made in the details without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A machine for making flexible shaft,

in the relatively reversed core-wire, a plurality of rotatable heads revolving about said core for guiding a plurality of layers of Wires, means for positively predetermined and different speeds of rotation to cause them to wind a plurality of layers of Wires around said core as it is being progressively fed, including means for independently varying the speed of rotation 2. A machine for making flexible shaft, including means for progressively feeding a core-wire: a plurality of rotatable heads disposed radially around said core wire and re volvable about said core as an axis for winding a plurality of wires around said core. means for simultaneously and positively rotating said heads at predetermined and varied speeds of rotation in relatively reversed directions to cause them to lay a plurality of layers of wire around saidcore while said core is being progressively fed including means for independently varying the speed of rotation of each of said heads.

3. A machine for making flexible shaft. includinga plurality of grippersfor alternately grlpplng and continuously feeding the core-Wire and a plurality of rotary heads revolvable about said core-wire as its axis for guiding and laying a plurality of wires around said core-wire.

4. A machine for making flexible shaft, including a plurality of grippers for alternately gripping and continuously feeding a'corewire and a plurality of rotary heads revolvable about said wire for laying successive layers of wire around \said core-wire.

. 5. A machine for making flexible shaft, in-

of each of said heads.

eluding a plurality of grippers for alternatefor rotating each successive head in a reverse direction relatively to the preceding head.

6. A machine for making flexible shaft comprising a support for a core-Wire, a plurality of rotary heads revolvable about said core-wire, means for driving said heads,

means for continuously feeding said core- Wire including a pair of rotatable and slidable shafts and a gripper attached to each shaft and actuated thereby to alternately grip and feed the core-wire.

7. A machine for making flexible shaft comprising a frame,-a support for a core- Wire, a plurality of rotary heads for laying a plurality of layers of Wire upon said core- Wire, a driving shaft for rotating said heads about said core-wire. grippers for continuously feeding said core-wire, a cam shaft for actuating said grippers actuated from said first mentioned shaft whereby the core-Wire is fed while the heads are rotated therearound.

8. A machine for making flexible shaft, including means for progressively feeding a core-Wire, a plurality of rotatable heads revolving about said core for guiding a plu- 'rality of layers of wires about said core.

and means for independently varying the speed of rotation of each of said heads.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my signature.

LOUIS H. MORIN. 

